Canada
Canada is a nation in northern North America bordering the United States to the south and the U.S. state of Alaska to the west as well as the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the west. History Twentieth and Early Twenty-First Century Because Britain still maintained control of Canada's foreign affairs under the Confederation Act, its declaration of war in 1914 automatically brought Canada into World War I. The Conscription Crisis of 1917 erupted when the Unionist Cabinet's proposal to augment the military's dwindling number of active members with conscription was met with vehement objections from French-speaking Quebecers. In 1919, Canada joined the League of Nations independently of Britain, and the 1931 Statute of Westminster affirmed Canada's independence. The Great Depression in Canada during the early 1930s saw an economic downturn, leading to hardship across the country. On the advice of Liberal Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King, King George VI declared war on Germany during World War II, seven days after Britain. Canada provided asylum for the Dutch monarchy while that country was occupied and is credited by the Netherlands for major contributions to its liberation from Nazi Germany. The financial crisis of the great depression had led the Dominion of Newfoundland to relinquish responsible government in 1934 and become a crown colony ruled by a British governor. After two bitter referendums, Newfoundlanders voted to join Canada in 1949 as a province. Quebec underwent profound social and economic changes through the Quiet Revolution of the 1960s, giving birth to a modern nationalist movement. The radical Front de libération du Québec (FLQ) ignited the October Crisis with a series of bombings and kidnappings in 1970 and the sovereignist Parti Québécois was elected in 1976, organizing an unsuccessful referendum on sovereignty-association in 1980. Canada also joined the Gulf War in 1990 as part of a US-led coalition force and was active in several peacekeeping missions in the 1990s, including the UNPROFOR mission in the former Yugoslavia. Canada sent troops to Afghanistan in 2001, but declined to join the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. In 2009, Canada's economy suffered in the worldwide Great Recession, but it has since largely rebounded. In 2011, Canadian forces participated in the NATO-led intervention into the Libyan Civil War and also became involved in battling the Islamic State insurgency in Iraq in the mid-2010s. Government and Politics Canada has a parliamentary system within the context of a constitutional monarchy. The sovereign in King William V, who serves as head of state of 12 other Commonwealth countries and each of Canada’s ten provinces. Officially, the monarch holds executive power, but delegates that power to a Governor-General, who acts on advice from the Prime Minister, who is the head of government. The Legislature is a bicameral parliament, comprising of the House of Commons and the Senate. Each of the 308 members of the House are elected by a simple plurality of votes in an electoral district, and undergo re-election every four years. The 105 members of the Senate are apportioned on a regional basis and may serve until they reach 75 years of age. The Judiciary is headed by the Supreme Court, which is the highest court and is the final arbiter. Underneath the Supreme Court is a number of civil and common law courts. Provinces and Territories Canada is a federation comprised of ten provinces and three territories. Each of the provinces have more autonomy than territories and have responsibility for welfare, education and healthcare. The provinces are: * Alberta * British Columbia * Manitoba * New Brunswick * Newfoundland and Labrador * Nova Scotia * Ontario * Prince Edward Island * Quebec * Saskatchewan The territories are: * Northwest Territories * Nunavut * Yukon Foreign Relations Canada is a member of the G-7 and G-30 economic forums, and a member of NATO and the Commonwealth of Nations. Canada maintains a close relationship with the United States, the United Kingdom and France. Canada also maintains a strong relationship with the Netherlands. In August 2007, Canada's territorial claims in the Arctic were challenged after a Russian underwater expedition to the North Pole; Canada has considered that area to be sovereign territory since 1925. China remained an important export market for Canadian energy and natural resources. Military The Canadian Armed Forces are the official military of Canada. Canada expanded the capabilities of its navy and Air Force in the first half of the 21st century by building new frigates, destroyers, submarines and fighter aircraft. Canada's military maintained a strong ability to fight in harsh Arctic environments. Canada was a major participant in the development of the F-35 Lightning II with other NATO and NATO aligned nations. Economy Canada experienced enormous economic growth during the first half of the 21st century, generally faring better than other advanced industrial economies due to abundant natural resources and good government. Canada continued to discover new caches of natural resources such as gold, oil and other minerals, especially in the province of British Columbia and the Canadian Arctic. Canada completed the world's longest bridge in the former region during the 2020s linking Vancouver Island to the Canadian mainland and encouraging economic growth driven by mining, finance, industry, skiing and Eco-tourism in Canada's Pacific Coast. Despite its enormous oil wealth, Canada led the world's industrial economies in the adaption of renewable energy, expanding electricity generation from hydro and nuclear power during the 2020s. Canada came up with many new designs for fourth generation nuclear power plants which included thorium reactors and small modular nuclear reactors. Canada achieved a major technological breakthrough in the 2020s, becoming the first country to generate electricity from satellites that beamed the Sun's energy down to receiving dishes on Earth via microwaves. Canada had two giant orbital solar power receiving stations in Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan, supplying much of the country with clean solar electricity. Canada emphasized this form of solar power since much of the country was too far north for direct solar power to be as economical as it was at lower latitudes. Canada expanded its satellite launch capabilities to send solar power satellites into orbit. By 2030, Canada led the way for industrialized nations transitioning towards a post-fossil fuel economy. Category:List of Nations Category:Nations Category:North America Category:NATO Category:G-30 Category:APEC